Agenda and minutes

The Chairman will welcome those present to the meeting.

The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting of the Westbury Area Board.

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were received from Nic Courtice (Station Manager, Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service).

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 27 September 2022.

The minutes of the meeting held on 27 September 2022 were presented for consideration and it was;

Resolved:

To approve and sign as a true and correct record of the minutes of the meeting held on 27 September 2022.

To receive any declarations of disclosable interests or dispensations granted by the Standards Committee.

There were no declarations of disclosable pecuniary interest.

To receive the following announcements through the Chair:

·       Wiltshire Climate Strategy Delivery Plans

·       Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) Alliance (BSW Integrated Care Board) Update

·       Update from Community First

·       Wiltshire Council Grants for Electric Vehicle Chargers

·       Local Successes

The Chairman made the following announcements, which were contained in the agenda pack:

·       Wiltshire Council Climate Strategy Delivery Plans

The Chairman noted that attached to the agenda pack was a briefing note, which set out details of the new delivery plans to support the Council’s adopted Climate Strategy.

·       Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) Alliance (BSW Integrated Care Board) Update

It was noted that within the agenda pack was an update from the Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) Alliance (BSW Integrated Care Board). The updated provided an overview of the role of the VCSE leadership alliance as well as noting the progress which had been made so far within the voluntary sector over the past 18 months.

·       Update from Community First

The Chairman drew reference to an update included within the agenda pack from Community First. The update covered their recent AGM and Awards celebration, which took place on 12 October 2022 as well as a volunteer recruitment campaign and current vacancies that they were looking to recruit to.

·       Wiltshire Council Grants for Electric Vehicle Chargers

The Chairman drew attention to the agenda pack which included a briefing note that acted as a follow up to the well-attended EV Charging Infrastructure for Town & Parish Councils Webinar that took place on 14 of September 2022. Included within the briefing note was links and materials which would allow interested parties to progress their intentions to have EV Chargers in their communities.

·       Local Successes

Westbury Area Board would like to congratulate the following individuals and groups for their respective achievements:

·       Matravers School recently ran a Scarecrow Trail from 22 to 30 October to raise funds for their Little Shop of Horrors production.

Westbury Area Board drew attention to the following local event which had started to take place:

·       Carpet Bowls recently started to take place in Edington Parish Hall, with all ages and abilities welcome. Further information could be found on the following website: https://edingtonwiltshire.org.uk/.

To receive updates from Lead Councillors for the local Area Board priorities.

·       Combatting Social Isolation and Loneliness (encompassing the previous priority from 2021/22 of Digital Inclusion) (Cllr Gordon King)

·       Wellbeing for Young People and Positive Activities (Cllr Carole King)

·       Local Environmental Action (Cllr Suzanne Wickham)

·       Child Poverty (Cllr Matt Dean)

The Area Board received the following updates from Lead Councillors on the local Area Board Priorities:

Combatting Social Isolation and Loneliness(encompassing the previous priority from 2021/22 ofDigital Inclusion)(Cllr Gordon King)

• Cllr Gordon King outlined that a Digital Inclusion project had started a few years ago with the help of Strategic Engagement Partnerships Officer, Graeme Morrison.
• The project has the aim of looking to tackle isolation and loneliness by getting people better engaged with their local communities by being able to contact their families, have video calls as well as online shopping and appointments.
• The project has provided refurbished laptops and iPads from the Wiltshire Digital Drive, as well as digital training packages provided by Ability Net.
• There is an aim for the project to help between 8 and 10 people a year and is now in its third tranche.

Wellbeing for Young People and Positive Activities(CllrCarole King)

• It was stated that in the past there had been a strategic group consisting of multiple organisations for young people, however this had ceased. Cllr Carole King stated that there was a priority to restart this group with the hope that the first meeting would be before Christmas. It was suggested that this meeting be hosted at Leigh Park Community Centre.
• The Youth Club, which meets regularly at the Hub has been going very strong and Cllr Carole King had visited them 4 times this year, including a summer BBQ for fundraising. Other examples of their work included the mural in Grassacres Park and a very successful Halloween event.
• 4Youth have become very established in the town through their work and events and have become trusted by the children.

Local Environmental Action(Cllr Suzanne Wickham)

• Cllr Wickham stated that work is being done to improve the foot and cycle paths from the villages to Westbury Station, following conversations with residents who wanted to be able to cycle this journey but could not as the paths were not as good as they should be.
• Cllr Wickham had met with Westbury Town Council with a view to improving signposting within the town.
• A meeting is set to take place on Wednesday 25 January 2023, with a start time of 7pm at The Laverton with Mr Nigel Linge MBE, who has experience with clearing up footpaths. Town and Parish representatives are expected to be in attendance.
• Regarding the Pollinator Corridor, all Parish Councils from Edington to Dilton Marsh have got involved and the project is well underway, with areas identified and set aside to be wildflower meadows.
• Work has been done with the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust, who have produced a comprehensive report which details to volunteers how land should be prepared, seeded, and then later cared for.

 Child Poverty(Cllr Matt Dean)

• Westbury Foodbank has applied for £2,500 of funding from the central government household support grant.
• In January, Wiltshire College is set to run some courses at the Community Centre in Oldfield Park. The courses are set to include finances,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

To receive any updates from partners:

·       Wiltshire Police

·       Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service

·       BSW Together (Integrated Care System)

·       Healthwatch Wiltshire

·       Town and Parish Councils Nominated Representatives

Updates were received from the following partners:

·       Wiltshire Police

The Area Board received a verbal update from Sergeant Louise Oakley which included the following points:

• Structural change had taken place in the Westbury area team, with Inspector Al Lumley having been promoted to the role of Chief Inspector. Sergeant Kevin Harmsworth would be the new Inspector from January in the new year.

Sergeant Oakley provided an update of the local priorities for Westbury:

• Anti-social behaviour, E-scooters and Youth Crime – There has been reports of general antisocial behaviour, public order offences, theft and damage. PC Mike Obern has been working hard with response teams to deal with youths robustly.
• Westbury Police Station – Towards the end of September someone had moved into the back of Westbury Station with their caravans, which had attracted some trouble. The Police gave a formal notice in October with court proceedings and eviction in hand.
• Speed Enforcement – A large proportion of speeders have been from the local area with it also noted that the Police are reliant on Community Speed watch teams for data.
• PEEL Inspection Progress – Progress has been made in improving the areas which had been identified as most critical, with changes to team structures having been made to ensure of a more consistent service.

Following the presentation there was time for the following questions and points to be raised:

·       An observation was made that trouble in the centre of Westbury had recently increased over weeks with a huge increase in young people attempting to purchase alcohol from public houses as well as hanging around the town centre and Library. Work is being conducted to put up signage and extend CCTV.

·       It was welcome that the Police were set to conduct some test purchasing in local shops.

·       A comment was made that it seems as though work is being conducted to tackle the symptoms of youth crime rather than the causes. It was suggested that it is often difficult from a Police perspective as the crimes being committed are often not serious enough for arrests and court proceedings to take place.

·       Jon Hubbard spoke on behalf of 4Youth and stated that they are looking to do a pop-up café on a Friday night in the new year as currently it seems as though there isn’t a place for young people to go. It was suggested that such an approach could have success as the 4Youth workers would have a different presence to that of the Police. It was suggested that if residents were aware of a youth gathering that they could email:hello@4youth.org.ukand then the mobile team could pay a visit with the Police also welcome to attend.

·       A plea was made the Police make the town centre a focus.

·       Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service

The Area Board noted a written update attached to the agenda supplement.

·        BSW Together (Integrated Care System)

The Area Board noted a written update attached to the agenda.

·       Healthwatch Wiltshire

The Area Board  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

To receive a presentation from Mercedes Apps (Shared Lives Team Leader).

The Area Board received a presentation from Amy Smith (Shared Lives Manager) about Shared Lives. The presentation covered the following points:

·       It was outlined that the purpose of the Shared Lives Service is to help people to live as part of a family, within a carer’s home, where they would receive the support or care that they need.

·       The service places adults who have mental health needs or learning disabilities, physical impairments, or are elderly, or those who, for a variety of reasons, cannot manage to live independently without support.

·       It was outlined that the scheme has been in situ in Wiltshire for over 40 years, providing both short-term respite and long-term placements for individuals.

·       An example of positive customer feedback was provided, featuring a lady who had been supported for 25 years.

·       The criteria of becoming a Shared Lives Carer were outlined, with the main points being carers need to be over 18, have a spare room with no qualifications needed with carers also able to combine the role with other work commitments.

·       It was outlined that there are three bands of payment depending on the need of the customers which would be provided following an approval process.

·       The presentation included the followingVideo and news article from ITV West Country, which demonstrated the positive work of the Shared Lives Service.

·       The following email address:sharedlives@wiltshire.gov.uk and phone number: 01380 826451 was provided for anyone who might be interested in the scheme. A poster for the Shared Lives Service had also been included in the agenda.

·       Amy Smith extended an invite to members of the Area Board to attend their Christmas event on 16 December 2022 and that also there would be a Shared Lives event in the new year.

Following the presentation there was time for the following questions and points to be raised:

·       It was clarified that caseloads are generally allocated to a team member who covers that geographical area. However, usually the whole team tends to make contributions to each individual case.

·       It was clarified that currently the team has one vacancy (long-term), after which the team would not be able to take any more referrals, which is why the service is very keen to recruit more carers.

·       It was outlined that last year the scheme had 48 carers supporting 53 residents, with the maximum allocation to each carer being 3 residents. Last year between 30-40 referrals were placed a month, with an average of 85% of these accepted. It was also stated how cost effective the service is for the Council.

·       It was stated that it has been difficult to find a home for some of the residents due to a lack of awareness for the scheme. It was therefore suggested that the Area Board promote and make people aware of the Shared Lives Service.

·       It was questioned whether the service included those with mental health needs, to which it was clarified that many referrals do come from the mental health team and that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

To discuss the Cost of Living Crisis.

The Chairman drew attention to a briefing note included in the agenda pack from the Engagement and Partnerships Team from Wiltshire Council, which outlined the role of Area Boards and examples of how they can support the cost of living in Wiltshire.

In addition, the Area Board received a verbal presentation from Graeme Morrison (Strategic Partnerships Engagement Manager) which provided details from the most recent meeting of the Health and Wellbeing Group. The presentation covered the following points:

Warm Spaces

·       Warm Spaces have been organised, including Westbury Library, The Laverton, Leigh Park Community Centre, Westbury Community Project and White Horse Day Centre.

·       These are a warm and welcoming space with no criteria for entry. AnInteractive Community Directory has been created, which shows what is available to residents in their local community.

·       The Area Board and Health and Wellbeing Group has been working to co-ordinate the warm spaces to ensure that the days and times of their use is spread out.

·       The Area Board has ringfenced some of its funding for warm space initiatives which would be available through applications.

·       The following Survey enables local organisations to share details of a warm space that they have set up.

·       Grants are also available to help fund the heating of warm spaces through the Area Board.

Household Support Fund

• It was outlined that £2,500 had been made available through the central Government Household Support Fund. Applications recently closed and Westbury Area Network had applied for the full amount. These funds would be to be spent on food within the foodbank.

Warm Packages

• Free warm packages are being provided by Westbury Library and Westbury Area Network (subject to a later successful grant application).
• The warm packages include blankets, draught excluders, hot water bottles and much more.

Additional Information

·       Advice is available on energy use as well as benefits and budgeting advice from Cross Point.

·       School uniform swaps are available at the Westbury Community Project.

·       Graeme Morrison (Strategic Engagement Partnerships Manager)provided his email address should anyone want to get in touch for further information or ideas: graeme.morrison@wiltshire.gov.uk

Following the presentation there was time for the following questions and points to be raised:

·       It was clarified that warm spaces would be advertised through theInteractive Community Directory, with Graeme Morrison also set to speak to Whitehorse News and the Library to promote to those unable to access the online map.

·       The Chairman offered to ask the Town Council and Parishes to put the link to the interactive map on their websites.

·       Sarah Cardy (Chief Executive of Age UK Wiltshire) stated that the organisation had been conducting home visits to increase income through potentially unclaimed pension credit. Work had also been conducted with local communities and the Town Council to make sure those eligible for grants receive them, to assist with fuel costs. The following adviceline number was provided: 08081962424 and website:www.ageuk,org,uk/wiltshire.

To receive a presentation from Simon Thomas (FACT Lead) on the FACT Pilot.

The Area Board received a presentation from Simon Thomas (FACT Partnership Lead) about the FACT Pilot. The presentation covered the following points:

·       It was outlined that the project was on behalf of the Wiltshire Families and Children’s Transformation (FACT) Partnership and that Wiltshire Council was a key supporter.

·       The project has the aim of being inclusive to bring together shareholders to maximise the value and benefits to the system of support offered to families and children.

·       The current situation for the FACT Partnership was outlined, with the key areas of demand that collectively concerned the partners as well as practice and system issues identified. Further examples of these issues were provided in the form of feedback that had been collected from families.

·       It was highlighted that Wiltshire’s multi-agency Family Help arrangements enable children, young people and families to access the right help at the right time through a co-ordinated approach to prevention and early intervention. The importance of working together to prevent needs from arising in the first place was stressed as well as building resilience through available resources.

·       It was outlined that across Wiltshire the project would deliver a clear unifying brand for Family Help, an online database of services and community resources via the Wiltshire Together platform, a co-ordinated whole system workforce development offer and a consistency to core approaches across the Early Help workforce.

·       A pilot is set to take place in Warminster and Westbury to test the following benefits:

o   Wrapping services and groups around local clusters and communities

o   Local case consultation

o   A more flexible and responsive practice model

o   Local community of practice

o   Working with sibling groups across phases

o   Local training and sharing

o   Local “voice” activity

• It was stated that currently the project is at an early stage and that though the Partnership has developed these ideas, it hasn’t developed what it would look like on the ground, therefore local conversations are needed.

Following the presentation there was time for the following questions and points to be raised but not limited to:

• It was suggested that the idea of people working together across service areas had been attempted before and generally success depended on the personal commitment of the officers involved.
• It was questioned how success would be measured with the pilot, to which it was clarified that the Partnership would be working with Oxford Brookes University for independent evaluation and reflection. In addition, local data sets would be used including school attendance and anti-social behaviour incidents.
• It was suggested that there was a lot of barriers within the project that might lead to a lack of success, to which it was stated that the project would have strong strategic support and a strong governance structure in FACT. Organisation representatives included Lucy Townsend (Corporate Director People), the Police and Crime Commissioner, Chief Constable, and an Integrated Care Board Senior representative.
• It was stated that the Area Board would be very happy to be kept up to date with the progress  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.

The Area Board will be asked to consider the recommendations from the 12 October 2022 Westbury Local Highways and Footway Improvement Group (LHFIG) meeting outlined in the report.

The Chairman introduced the minutes and recommendations from the LHFIG meeting held on 12 October 2022. In addition, the Chairman noted that he would be attending a meeting of the Westbury Town Council Highways and Planning Committee to discuss procedures with colleagues.

After which, it was;

Resolved:

The minutes of theLocal Highways and Footway Improvement Group meeting held on 12 October 2022 were agreed as a correct record as well as the recommendations within.

To recommend that a re-appointment be made to the following outside body:

Westbury Ham Community Project (Eden Vale Youth Centre Project) – Cllr Gordon King to be replaced by Cllr Matt Dean.

The Area Board reviewed the following Outside Body appointment, that was made during the meeting of the Westbury Area Board on 6 June 2022:

• Westbury Ham Community Project (Eden Vale Youth Centre Project) – Cllr Gordon King

The Chairman thanked Cllr Gordon King for his work as a trustee to the Westbury Ham Community Project as well as for the support he had provided to them over many years.

After which, it was;

Resolved:

To replace the appointment of Cllr Gordon King to the Outside Body of the Westbury Ham Community Project (Eden Vale Youth Centre Project) with the appointment of Cllr Matt Dean.

To consider the following applications for funding:

Community Area Grants:

·       Westbury Area Network - £500 towards Westbury Warm Parcels.

Youth Grants:

·       Leigh Park Community Centre - £5,000 towards skills for personal development and employment.

·       Westbury Community Project - £708.05 towards warm spaces entertainment at the Westbury Community Project.

·       4Youth South West - £5,000 towards detached youth workers and counselling support for Westbury.

The Area Board considered the following applications for funding:

Older and Vulnerable Adults Funding:

·       Westbury Area Network - £500 towards Westbury Warm Parcels.

Resolved:

Westbury Area Network was awarded £500 towards Westbury Warm Parcels.

·       Westbury Community Project - £708.05 towards warm spaces entertainment at the Westbury Community Project.

Resolved:

Westbury Community Project was awarded £708.05 towards warm spaces entertainment at the Westbury Community Project.

Youth Grants:

·       Leigh Park Community Centre - £5,000 towards skills for personal development and employment.

Resolved:

Leigh Park Community Centre was awarded £2,500 towards skills for personal development and employment. Leigh Park Community Centre was invited to return with a further application to the Area Board in the next financial year.

·       4Youth Southwest - £5,000 towards detached youth workers and counselling support for Westbury.

Resolved:

4Youth Southwest was awarded £3,000 towards detached youth workers and counselling support for Westbury. 4Youth Southwest was invited to return with a further application to the Area Board in the next financial year.

It was also stated that though 4Youth Southwest had initially started within the Melksham area, they were now looking for a local Westbury resident to become part of the 4Youth Southwest Board.

Any other items of business which the Chairman agrees to consider as a matter of urgency.

There were no urgent items.

The next meeting of the Westbury Area Board will be held on 9 February 2023.

The date of the next meeting is 9 February 2023.